Class 75.4 General-Purpose Steam Tank Locomotive

Prototype information

The class VIb (class 75.1-3) had turned out well on the many curving, steep routes in Baden. The Baden State Railroad therefore went back to the 2-6-2T wheel arrangement for further development of this type, but it equipped the units of the new class "Vic" with superheated steam running gear. The higher permissible axle load allowed a larger boiler in addition to the installation of a superheater. This once again increased the performance and the speed of the new locomotive. Effective with the second production run in 1915/16, the VIc units were equipped with a Knorr design feedwater heating system, effective with the third production run a steel firebox, and effective with the fourth production run a steel firebox with a new tube sheet. A permissible maximum speed of 90 km/h / 56 mph in both directions predestined these units for use in light express train service. With 10 cubic meters / 2,642 gallons of water and 4 metric tons of coal, they were able to master a correspondingly large radius of action. The first delivery was done in 1914 by the locomotive builder Maschinenbau-Gesellschaft Karlsruhe (MBG) / Machinery Construction Company Karlsruhe (MBG). By 1921, the MBG built the most locomotives, 14 units came however from Arnold Jung in Jungenthal. In 1918, 28 locomotives had to be surrendered as reparation payment, 15 to France, and 13 to Belgium (In 1923 units were sold to Luxembourg). The DRG took over the remaining 107 units as road numbers 75 401-494 (with gaps) and road numbers 75 1001-1023 as well as 1101-1120. The VIc units also soon made themselves useful outside of Baden: Ten locomotives were used experimentally in 1924 for suburban service on the Berlin S-Bahn, another 20 went to Mecklenburg, where effective 1925 the Berlin VIc units also went. The DB still had 66 operational units on their roster after World War II that were used mainly in Freiburg, Offenburg, Radolfzell, Singen, Waldshut, Karlsruhe, and Villingen. As the last VIc on the DB, road number 75 1118 did the great official departure run (Karlsruhe – Schönmünzach) of the last Baden steam locomotive used in regular service by the DB. It was still under steam for this purpose May 12-22, 1966. A day later, it was put into storage and on April 20, 1967, it was retired.